Page 138 of All Your Reasons Why

The crowd is murmuring in confusion. Mason skates towards me and holds the sign up high, over his head, for everyone to see.

Now it’s on the overhead screens, and the hockey commentators are talking, and everyone only has one question: Who is Rowan?

Because Mason is holding up a sign that says “Forgive me, Rowan. I’m an idiot.”

My jaw drops and Cece squeals next to me.

I burst out laughing and crying at the same time. He did not.

That wonderful, amazing, beautiful nutcase.

“Forgive him, Rowan,” someone yells.

“I forgive you, Mason,” a woman shrieks. Of course.

“Second chance,” someone else shouts. Everyone takes up the chant. “Second chance. Second chance.”

He drops the sign onto the ice and behind it is another sign, which reads “Kiss the frog and make him your prince.”

Everyone immediately starts chanting “Kiss him. Kiss him.”

He holds it up, pointing it directly at me. Then he drops the sign onto the ice again, and takes off the frog head, dropping it on the ice.

He skates over to the glass and l leap to my feet. He points to my left and when I look in that direction, I see a guy wearing Rovers gear motioning for me to head his way.

“Come with me. Mason arranged for you to come to the bench,” the man says over his shoulder.

“He did, did he?” I chuckle.

I’m escorted into the area where the players sit, my heart hammering in my chest. Mason is standing there, looking at me as if I hung the moon.

“I was an idiot,” he says.

“You were.”

A wry smile spreads across his face. “God, it’s so good to see you here. I’ve missed you every minute.”

“I missed you too.” Tears spill from my eyes. “And I made a lot of mistakes too, and I should have talked to you sooner. I was just really hurt, but I should have given you a chance to explain yourself.”

“It’s in the past, Rowan.” He takes my hand in his. “I don’t care about any of that. I want you back. I want us to be together again.” Everyone’s watching us. The kids, the parents, the staff, the hockey announcers, the entire arena, the entire world ...

At least they can’t hear us. Thank heavens.

I swallow hard.

“We can make this work, can’t we? You shouldn’t have to choose between your career and our relationship.”

“She won’t have to,” Cecelia cries out. I turn to see that she’s joined us, an enormous smile on her face.

“She arranged this,” he says, smiling over at Cece.

I blink, trying to work out what’s happening.

“Why would you do that, Cece? I... went against company policy. I messed up.”

She shakes her head. “We’ve rearranged things at the agency, and you’ll be able to do both.”

“Seriously?” Mason cries out, his eyes lighting up. He looks at me with a huge grin. “So while I was in self-exile in Arizona, sucking at golf and feeling miserable and missing you, you were here changing things up for me?”

---